As odd as this might sound for someone whose day job is rooted in objects from the past, I’ve got to keep an eye on the news.
Anniversaries, interior design trends, exhibitions and even celebrity culture can all affect what goes on in the saleroom.
While the older generation of diehard collectors still exist (luckily), they are increasingly giving way to Millennials and Gen Zs – new generations of antique buyers who want pieces with stories and authentic one-offs.
So here are my predictions for 2026.
1. Old diamonds. Nothing tells a story like a piece of antique jewellery. After Travis Kelceproposed to Taylor Swift with an old mine-cut diamond ring, it signalled a move away from today’s brilliant-cut gems to diamonds from earlier eras. Swift’s 10 carat stone would have been hand carved at the old mine it was discovered (hence the name). It has a distinct look, perfect for sparkling under Georgian candlelight. Unlike modern machine-cut solitaires, it has character, individuality and a story. If you have inherited a ring like this, let us know, because it might be worth more than you think.
2. Vintage watches. Watch collectors love an anniversary and in 2026 there are quite a fewWe see the 70th anniversary of the Rolex Milgauss (Rolex’s anti-magnetic scientific watch) and the Patek Philippe Nautilu – one of the most iconic luxury sports watches ever made – hits 50. Next year also sees the 100th anniversary of Tudor, known by many as “Rolex’s little brother.” Watches are achieving huge amounts in the saleroom, so now is a good time to check bedside drawers for hidden treasures.
3. Pokémon. With the 30th anniversary of the global phenomenon in 2026, Pokémon is going to be big. So big in fact we holding a sale dedicated to the release of the original Pokémon Red and Green games in Japan on February 27,1996. Now is a good time to raid your grown-up kids’ old toy cupboards because Pokémon is set to hit the headlines everywhere in 2026. As well as appealing to cash-rich Millennials keen to reconnect with their youth, there’s a new generation of YouTubers who share videos of them unboxingPokémon cards on the platform.
4. Harry Potter. 2026 marks 25 years since the film release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and with a new TV series on the horizon in 2027 you can guarantee the boy wizard is going to be big. We are lucky to have possibly the world’s leading authority on Harry Potter as one of our in-house specialists. What Jim Spencer doesn’t know about HP, and everything related to him, isn’t worth knowing. If you have one of the ultra-rare first editions of the Philosopher’s Stone in your bookcase, well done. Only 500 were printed and in 2021 one sold for £356,000.
5. 50th anniversary of LS Lowry’s death. The milestone year sees Salford’s The Lowry host an immersive experience taking visitors “inside” the painter’s Going to the Match. You might not own one of his original works, but the market for Lowry prints has never been better. Lowry produced 54, signed, limited-edition, prints which now sell for thousands. In 1948 he moved to Mottram-in-Longdendale in Cheshire, close to the Derbyshire border, spending the next 30 years in the village. Who knows how many works were given away to locals, and friends, and may still be hanging on the county’s walls?
6. Winnie-the-Pooh. The famous bear turns 100 in 2026. One of the most popular children’s storybook series of all time, its fans can honour the occasion with a trip to Ashdown Forest in East Sussex which was the home of author AA Milne and inspiration for Hundred Acre Wood – the fictional forest where Pooh lived with his friends Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. We are always on the look-out for Milne first editions and illustrations of his books by EH Shepard.
7. Royal memorabilia. For a royalist like me, there is one very special anniversary in 2026, that being the birth of our beloved former monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. There is always a great sense of excitement when our experts discover items of royal memorabilia, from slices of wedding cake to signed Christmas cards. One flagship event, opening this spring,is Buckingham Palace’s new exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style and I, for one, can’t wait. If you have any pieces of memorabilia tucked away, now might be the time to share it with the larger world.
8. Eric Morecambe. 2026 year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary funnyman Eric Morecambe, so get set for a celebration of his comedic talent. The town he was born in (and named himself after) is getting ready for year-long events with the biggest on his birthday on May 14. We were privileged to sell Morecambe’s collection in 2025, and we recently offered both the sketch and reproductions of his famous statue on Morecambe Bay, made by the sculptor Graham Ibbeson for sale. Look out for more of the same in 2026.
9. John Constable. After the 250th anniversary of JMW Turner last year, 2026 sees the same milestone for the Suffolk landscape artist John Constable. The site which inspired The Hay Wain, at Flatford Mill, near East Bergholt, will mark the occasion with exhibitions. Authenticated works by Constable can sell for millions but paintings by his ‘circle’ (contemporary associates) can fetch hundreds of thousands and even ‘school of’ and ‘in the manner of’ works are sought after by collectors and country house owners or fans of period style.
10. Regency furniture. The next chapter in the hugely popular Netflix drama Bridgerton hits the screens this year. Just as HBO’s The Gilded Age, set in 1880s New York, reignited bidders’ love of Tiffany lamps, Bridgerton has us clamouring for everything Regency. Think neoclassical, pared-back furniture incorporating Greco-Roman embellishments in geometric shapes with inlays of different woods. Also set to do well are gilt-frame mirrors and pieces featuring rosettes or lion mask motifs, as well as metal paw feet.
